Corn Fritters (One dozen ears of sweet corn)

A very lean batter: the corn itself is the body, with just enough egg and flour to hold it together. Treat it as a corn pancake cooked in butter rather than a deep-fried fritter.

• Grating the cornGrating means splitting the kernels with the grater and scraping the pulp and milk out of the hulls, leaving the tough skins behind on the cob. A box grater over a shallow bowl works; the back of a knife run down each cut row afterwards gets the rest of the milk. Twelve ears give roughly 4 to 5 cups of pulp.
• Corn to useThis wants fresh sweet corn at the milky stage, when a pressed kernel squirts. Older, starchier corn gives a pasty batter, and frozen kernels will not grate — if you use them, pulse briefly in a food processor and expect a looser mix.
• The batter is deliberately thinTwo tablespoons of flour for a dozen ears is not a misprint, but the batter will spread. Let it stand five minutes, and if it runs off the spoon add flour a tablespoon at a time until it just mounds.
• Griddle heatMedium, around 350F on an electric griddle. Butter browns quickly, so wipe the pan and add fresh butter between batches rather than letting it darken.
• Size and cooking timeDrop tablespoonfuls and keep them small, about 2 inches; large cakes stay raw and eggy in the middle. Two to three minutes a side, until set and well browned.
• Yield and servingA dozen ears makes a large quantity — enough small cakes for a family-sized side dish. They soften as they sit, so cook to order or hold in a single layer in a 200F oven.